EDH: The Truth of the Gathering
by americancheeze
Summary: What is 'the Gathering? When a phyrexian erupts from a hole in reality, a group once thought to be only a game company sends out a call for players. Each has a chance to join "Academy" and to become a real planeswalker. Uses EDH/Commander rules for duels
1. Chapter 1

Prologue:

The world has changed. That much no one can argue. If you told me a decade ago that the card game I was playing was actually real, and the makers knew it, I would have laughed and assumed you were joking. Any sane person would have. That was before the phyrexian colossus, a huge brain-like horror like something from an H.P. Lovecraft novel, tore through the barrier between worlds in the middle of Renton, Washington. Why a place half the world had never heard of? It was just random chance that the thinnest part of the barrier was there, but not random chance that the people who stopped the monster had built their headquarters there. It turned out Wizards of the Coast, the leading developer of fantasy games, was actually run by real wizards. Their games were just means of mentally training people for the inevitable invasion of the hideous phyrexians, a truth they finally revealed after the proof of it had arrived.

For the most part, the tear is still too small for a full scale invasion force, and despite the casualties of the first attack, most of the things that have come through since weren't a match for the wizards of the coast. That didn't mean they could stand alone forever, and they never intended to. A call went out. They needed more mages. More than mages actually. They were looking for people with the spark of a planeswalker, a kind of incredibly powerful mage that can travel between worlds. Supposedly, there is only one in every several million people... and we live on a planet of billions. If any world could spawn a team of 'walkers it would be Earth, and the wizards of the coast aimed to make an elite strike team of them to not only repel the phyrexians, but end their threat to the multiverse forever. To this end, they had constructed a school known simply as "Academy". Their goal was not only find and awaken these 'walkers, but to make them more powerful than anything any of the other worlds had created.

Chapter One: New Frontiers

"Welcome to the qualification exams." a tall and athletic man with a cleanly shaven head and a large smile bowed slightly as he spoke. He didn't at all fit the image of a wizard. In fact, if not for the incredibly perky expression on his face you could easily mistake him for a bouncer at a club. "I'm Chris Perkins, one of the senior producers for Wizards of the Coast, and I'll be overseeing the exams today." the man noticed one of the hopefuls raising a hand to ask a question. "Yes?"

"Aren't you from the Dungeons and Dragons division?"

Another one spoke up, "Yeah, you're like the face of D&D."

Even though we'd all made the mistake of thinking he was already smiling, Chris proved us wrong by deploying his real, larger, and brighter smile, "Well, the Abyss isn't invading for another ten years, so I'm free."

We all stared at him incredulously, unsure if he was joking or not.

He didn't elaborate, "Besides, is it really hard to believe that high-ranking members of the team would be well-versed in all aspects of it?"

The hopeful raised his hand again.

"Yes?"

"There's not going to be an Axis & Allies invasion is there?"

Chris laughed, "Of course not. We just make that one for the money."

Several of the assembled sighed in relief.

Chris grinned, "There _is_ going to be Duel Masters invasion in twelve years though. We're still trying to figure out how to drive off the denizens of the Abyss in time to recover and regroup for that one. Then we have the Nine Hells invasion three years after that, but by then the celestial planes will have established their portal and be able to reinforce us, so that should be no problem."

Most of the people in the group tensed, those who didn't were either confident enough in themselves the think they could handle it, or believed he was joking. I was the former, though I wouldn't have put it past the jovial man to play a joke like that.

Again, he didn't clear the air on the matter. In fact, if anything he just made the worried even more concerned before explaining the rules, "Anyway, one thing at a time. Today you'll be put into real live duels with established mages. This will be your first time using real magic, but how well you perform and how you react to the power will be a good judge of whether or not we want you at the school. Some of you may not even be able to use magic, so don't assume skill in the game translates to a gift in actual magic." he scanned the room to gauge reactions, many didn't seem to doubt themselves, which was good, "Each of you were selected because we believe you could have what it takes to save the multiverse from the phyrexians. If you aren't here to fight for that goal or you aren't willing to die for that goal, then leave now. You won't be able to use magic with fear in your heart."

A few walked out.

"Too bad." he barely frowned, but I'm sure he didn't blame them or even want people there that lacked resolve, "Before we start, if you have planeswalker cards in your decks, remove them and replace them with different cards, which you can acquire for no cost in the corner. They are not permitted at the start of the year." that bit upset quite a few people, but Chris ignored them, "When ready, you should proceed through these doors with your Commander decks and side boards. Choose no more than two commanders, a primary and a secondary, and keep your primary at the ready. These two are your only option for commanders for the first term at the Academy, so choose well. Also, pick your primary carefully too. You'll be spending a lot of time together."

Quite a few people weren't sure how to take that, since the cards represented real creatures after all. Rather than stress over possible meanings, I decided to take it all ways it could be taken. One being that I would be required to use the primary as my commander most often, the other being that the commander would actually be at my side like a mentor or partner. To that end, I took my two commanders and pondered each. One was weaker so it wouldn't be great for dealing out commander damage, the quickest route to victory in this type of duel. It was easy to cast though, so I would be able to get it out sooner and start dealing that damage sooner. In fact, a lot of the time I'd be able to bring in out a whole three or more turns sooner. Assuming real mage duels relied even more on speed than the game version, it seemed a decent option.

I was broken out of my thoughts by another applicant getting up and showing his chosen commanders to Chris. The wizard took them and asked a couple of questions, then motioned to the door. However, when the hopeful tried to open it, it did not move.

"Did someone leave this locked?" he wondered.

Chris frowned so slightly it was almost undetectable, and handed the cards back to their owner, "You can leave."

"What?"

"I'm sorry, but you aren't going any further today. You aren't ready."

"What do you mean I'm not ready? I'm SO ready for this! I've been waiting for a chance to do something like this my entire life!"

"The door is enchanted. If you were ready, you would be able to open it."

As the former hopeful protested, I went back to my deliberations. The first option had speed. On the other hand, my second option had three times the power and could fly. Later coming out, but better for defense and easier to hit the enemy. Plus, if it became a partner kind of thing, the benefit of having something large enough to fly me around was unquestionably useful. Then again, that size might also make living arrangements tricky. I had to think deeply on the strategy of my deck and what I wanted to be able to do most often. Not to mention factor in the possibility of partnership.

I raised my hand, and was given the okay to speak, "You said we'll have real magic. Is it possible to summon creatures outside of duels for transportation?"

He grinned slightly, perhaps glad I was weighing the utilitarian functions of my deck, "Yes. In fact, all spells can be used outside of mage duels. With rules of course. We frown upon random use of Blightning."

"Does that mean we can wield equipment?"

"That will be discussed later, it's sort of complicated."

"I'll take that as an 'under certain conditions' then." I noted, and he nodded. I stood, and headed to the door he'd told us to head through, "I'm ready."

"You've picked your commanders?"

"Yes." I held them up, the primary in the front.

Chris smiled and took both, quickly frowning, "I see... make sure you're careful."

"I'll manage."

"Is the secondary a part of your deck?"

I nodded, "I intend to switch them around whenever I switch commanders."

"You'll get them back as you proceed then. Go on through, deck in hand." he motioned to the door.

A girl stepped up, getting in the way of my stepping to the door, whether she meant it or not. She was a good-looking woman, but hid it well in the guise of a tomboy. Her hair was even cut short. "My commanders."

Chris seemed shocked, "A mono-colored deck? That's not very common in the format."

"I only play black."

"Alright. You can go." He pointed to the door.

She glanced at me, then back to Chris, "Do we have to go in order? I really wanted to be the first one accepted."

Chris was again surprised, this time at her confidence, "You seem awfully sure both of you are going through."

"That's because we are." she smiled, then asked both of us, "So does it matter if I go first?"

Chris shrugged, "It won't mess anything up or affect who you will face, so if he's fine with it..."

I motioned for her to proceed, "Ladies first."

"Crap." she grinned, "I'm not a lady." Regardless, she grabbed the door handle, twitching slightly on contact, "Ooh, that tickles."

And she stepped through like it were any other door. Chris was again shocked and turned to me with a smile as the door closed, "If she was right about you making it through, then I think we have someone to keep an eye on."

"Agreed." I nodded, then stepped to the door. She was right both about my making it and the sensation that passed through my body from the door being a bit ticklish, "Should have gotten her name."

Chris smiled as I opened the door, "I think that was Mara Johnson, a local."

I nodded my acknowledgment and stepped though. On the other side was darkness and the ambient noise of the waiting area vanished when the door closed behind me. In fact, there was no ambient noise in the new room at all, or light for that matter. I couldn't see anything at all.

I could sense something there though, like that prickly feeling you get when someone stands right behind you or when you get the feeling you are being watched. The sensation of observation was actually very intense, as if someone was looking at every facet of my being. Light footsteps on what sounded like stone came closer to me, and a slender, warm hand clasped mine, joined quickly by another. I subconsciously passed my thumb across the back of the hands holding mine. It was a female. The size suggested it, and the smell of flowers and the smoothness of the skin confirmed it. It was delicate, and trembling, but had a sort of strength to it. My hand again acted unconsciously and returned the pressure of her grip, and my heart reached out instinctively to offer my strength.

Somehow, I knew who it was even without seeing her. Assuming that our commanders would be partnered with us had been a good move. I turned to her, "Mayael?"

I felt her smile, "You can tell it is me even without seeing me? Simply from my touch and the smell of my ornaments? When I received the call I was hesitant to comply, and even more hesitant to believe the promise of being partnered to a soul that could understand my perspective. Now I see those doubts were unfounded." She placed a hand on my heart, "I can see your soul, as you can feel mine. There is a weight in both... a burden no one mortal should have to bear alone."

I reflexively tensed.

"Do not be afraid... neither of us will bring harm to the other. I know this with every fiber of myself... we can help each other... we need each other." the hand on my heart returned to my hand, "Yes, this arrangement will do nicely. Shall we proceed?"

"I'm not entirely sure of the next step. Both metaphorically and literally considering I can't see anything."

She smiled again, it felt lovely, "Here, I will show you the way out of this place. I am always blind, so light does not matter to me. After that, you will face another mage and defeat him. Your worth is already proven to me, but your power must still be shown to the truly blind." she took my deck away and moments later placed what felt like a small book in my hand, strapping a thick bracer to each forearm that reached from wrist to elbow. "The vestments of battle I was given to give to you, they will protect you and aid you as you master your power. They prevent fledgling mages from burning themselves with mana."

Mana burn? That reminded me of an old rule from the earlier days of the game. If you tapped into too much mana and didn't spend it all, it would damage you. The rule had been removed, perhaps when they had invented the bracers behind the scenes. I couldn't see them, but they felt strong and I was confident they would shield me well.

"Do they work against magic?"

"Only the barest amount. They brunt it and reduce the risk of death, but only that and no more."

"I'll be sure to avoid as many explosions as possible then."

"Come. We must proceed to the battle." clasping my hand again, Mayael led me forward. She said nothing for a few moments but as we stopped she mused something, "I had no idea the spell had set up a dark room for our meeting. Perhaps it wanted you to understand me better."

"A sentient spell?"

"It is not all that unusual, as you will learn." the elf shaman placed my hand on a doorknob, indicating we had arrived, but she did not remove her own hand so I could turn it, "You know my name, but I have yet to learn yours. What are you known as?"

"Bryan Hunter. You can call me Bryan."

"Very well, Bryan." Mayael lifted her hand from mine and held my free hand firmly, "Shall we?"

In reply, I turned then knob and opened the door, stepping through into a vast ruined arena with a sky full of smoke. The air was heavy, as if I were trying to breathe in destruction. Mayael trembled slightly, so I squeezed her hand a bit tighter to reassure her.

"I am fine. I am just unused to being in a place so different from my native plane. I can see the soul of the world there. Here... this place has no soul."

A voice spoke from ahead of us and a figure I hadn't noticed before was suddenly there, "That's because we're on the plane of Everdell, the Ides of Kardun to be exact. It's a land the phyrexians took over long ago."

I looked around, expecting an attack at any moment, "Why would you bring us here for an entry exam? Going right into the maw of the enemy this soon is madness!"

The figure shook his head, "This plane is abandoned. The races on it were incompatible with the enemy's plans for the 'Grand Completion' and the world itself could not sustain the phryexians. All attempts at turning this place into their home simply killed it."

I stepped over to a collapsed wall of the arena to look out at the world around it... There wasn't one. There was only rock and hardened, yet still steaming magma. Petrified trees and corpses wedged everywhere in horrific patterns. "My god... I've seen the New Phyrexia cards, but this... this is what failure looks like?"

The figure nodded.

Mayael squeezed my hand and I realized I had pretty much let go of hers from the shock, "Is it really that bad? Your heart has grown so heavy."

"Be thankful you are blind, friend shaman." the figure answered for me, then regarded me again, "Know, that there is no telling what will happen to Earth if it falls, but know that it _will_ fall without planeswalkers. You've seen both outcomes of that. Are you willing to stand up and fight horrors you can right now only imagine?"

Mayael nodded, "He is. He can fight for his world, I can tell."

"That is not good enough." The figure scowled, "We only need people that can fight for the multiverse."

My elf partner squeezed my arm tighter, I could feel her feelings on the matter. She'd come in not fully understanding the gravity of the situation, and was only now learning of the burden being placed on me... maybe us considering we were partnered, but it was comforting knowing that her concern was only for me. Even though we had only recently met, we knew each other well and had grown close to each other quickly thanks to our similarities.

"Well, I don't know if I'll survive the war, but I'm not about to sit down while these creatures do this and worse to entire planets." I held up the book that was presumably a copy of my deck, "The second I found out the war was real I wanted to step onto New Phryexia and help. These people in my deck are real, so I count them as friends. I won't let the Mirrans in here be tortured and twisted any longer and I won't let the other planes within fall to the same either."

The figure nodded expressionlessly, "Let's see if you can back up that hero talk."

I watched as the figure took a small book into his left hand and a clip come from his bracer to lock it securely to it. I placed the book in my right since I prefer playing with the deck on that side, and it clipped in. He opened his book, placed a hand on it and pulled points of light from it that hovered around his fingers. I followed suit. Looking into the points of light, I innately knew they were spells from my deck. Looking to him... I could somehow feel what type of magic he had at his disposal.

"Black and red." I muttered aloud.

The figure was surprised, showing an emotion for the first time, "What?"

I was uncertain of what was going on either. It was so unexpected, but so unobtrusive. Like the ability had always been there and was totally natural. "I can sense... your mana."

He stood there, shocked, but then looked to Mayael, "It seems we've hit the jackpot, shaman. The partnership is perfect."

She nodded, "We both have the sight... though mine is more refined than his. I noticed shortly after we met." she released my had and stepped back, "Show him your power, Bryan."

The figure smiled, "Yes. Show me. Take the first round."

Mayael explained, knowing my uncertainties and guiding my will, "What you knew as land cards have become pacts rather than spells. Rather than conjure lands to you, to form a pact across the planes to draw power from them. Simply will it and bind it to you. Know that you put those lands at risk, for any spells that destroy lands, will do exactly that. Aim to acquire lands that aren't as inhabited."

"Noted." I motioned to the side of me as if playing a land card, "I bind a plain and draw its mana to cast a simple spell."

"Again, it is a matter of will. Visualize. Bend the mana to your will or sculpt it. It is living energy so decided how you wish to treat it."

I shaped it gently to my will, "I call for the Steelshaper's Gift. The white mana shaped into a sword that glowed with green and black energy then took the form of a spell, "I call the Sword of Feast and Famine to my hand. That is all I can do."

The figure smiled, "I see, a very sensible choice."

"I'm just annoyed there isn't a red/black one." I noted.

My opponent moved on, "I shall claim a Mountain, then use it to call forth a Raging Goblin. Have you ever been cut Mr. Hunter?"

A goblin appeared through a portal and looked around confused, I was the first thing it saw, so it leaped at me with a large hatchet in both hands. "AIEEEEEEE!"

I intercepted with one of the thick leather bracers on my arms, stopping the blow and throwing the small thing away from me. I could feel the force from the impact in my arm, but the overall effect was minimal. I replied calmly, "Yes actually, though not with an axe."

"I see. Your move again."

I made sure to adjust my terminology, "I tap my plain for mana then lay claim to Rith's Grove. I return the tapped plain to my hand as an optional cost for playing the land, then tap into Rith's Grove for a green mana." I extended my hand, "Every grove needs a groundskeeper, so I call upon Budoka Gardener." A simple monk with a staff appeared dazed and unable to act. My foe had only been able to attack me so fact due to his creature having a special ability, normally monsters are stunned for a turn after being summoned. "I'm going to need your help next turn, friend."

The gardener replied in a language I didn't know, but I understood him. Probably due to magic, "Give me a moment. Ugh."

"What's your name by the way?"

"Minamaru Gota."

"Nice to meet you."

Minamaru nodded, "I have felt your presence many times. It is nice to finally meet you in person."

I turned to Mayael in surprise, she smiled, "We've all known of you for some time, Bryan."

"Does this mean-?"

She shrugged, "I do not know if you are a planeswalker or not, but you most certainly are naturally gifted in magic."

I turned back to my opponent and ended my turn, "That's all I can do. Go."

The red and black mage was very to-the-point, "I claim a mountain, and then attack once more with my goblin."

Minamaru started to move to defend me, but I waved him off, "No, stand back. You're more than a meat-shield." This time, I took the axe straight in the shoulder, "Ah! That stings."

Mayael was mildly worried, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." I grunted a little, "It's a weakling, but... I'm bleeding..."

"Of course you are." My opponent chuckled, "You were just hit with an axe!"

I suppose there are worse ways to find out that duels were more that just attacks on life points. If I bled to death, my remaining life points really didn't matter, "On my turn, I drew forth a key card in my strategy, and there isn't much better timing than this. I claim Cloudpost but it is already tapped when I bind it."

My opponent was stunned, "Why is that in a commander deck? With only one of it, its effect is pointless!"

I chose to demonstrate rather than answer, "Minamaru, time to sow some seeds, I tap into your power to claim Glimmerpost. When I claim this land, I gain 1 life for every locus-type land I control, which including Cloudpost is 2."

"I see. Now Cloudpost will produce 2 mana with its effect next turn."

"Three." I corrected.

The figure knew what I was plotting and smiled.

"I tap into Rith's Grove and Glimmerpost for the mana to cast Sylvan Scrying. Thus, I add the pact to claim Vesuva to my hand."

The figure knew what it did, "A land that becomes a copy of another land in play. You can clone Cloudpost, making both worth three. A sound sequence and a good draw." he pulled a new spell from his book at the start of his turn. However, I will not allow you to propagate this problem any further. I claim a Swamp, then tap all of my lands to cast an Afflict spell. Your gardener is burdened with a penalty to his power and his toughness, enough to kill him."

Minamaru cried out as his body withered and he fell over, fading away. I called out to him in distress, "Minamaru! NO!"

My opponent pointed at me, "Are you ready for this kind of burden? That man is dead now because you didn't stop me."

"You bastard! He's dead? For real?" I glared at him, furious, "For what? To prove a freakin' point?" I stepped forward, "You piece of shit! You piece of SHIT!"

"The phyrexians won't show mercy, they won't hold back."

I stepped up into the man's face and grabbed his collar, "That has nothing to do with this! Fact or not you didn't have to kill him to prove that this is serious! You fucking monster!"

"Calm down. If you strike me, the duel is over, you won't have the rules of a duel to protect you. A phyrexian would kill you. Not to mention you lose the duel. Lose here and you fail the test. Are you willing to through away the chance to fight the phyrexians over one death?"

I pulled my arm back and started to punch him, but Mayael stopped me, hanging her thin frame on my arm to make up for any difference there might have been in physical strength, "No! If you want to hurt him, you can do a lot better by doing so in the duel. You need this exam to get into the school, you can't fight the phyrexians without their training."

I whipped around, "You can't condone this! He just killed a man for a training exer-" I stopped as I caught a glimpse of the examiner in the corner of my eye. He seemed satisfied... not just that, it was a strange variation of it, one with a (for lack of a better term) texture that betrayed the truth. If not for the graphic nature of my creature's death affecting me, I might have caught the lie right away or maybe not. "You're lying. He's fine."

The man backed away as I let him go and I returned to my place for the duel, "Impressive. I was worried for a moment there that the similarities between the two of you ended at a sense for mana. This is indeed one of the best match-ups of mage and commander I've seen today."

"I've always been pretty good at reading people... though I'm not perfect at it obviously."

"Regardless, you get good marks for your reaction. Why would we want soldiers that don't value life? The ruthless fall swiftly to the phyrexian corruption." the motioned to me, "Back to the duel, you will suffer another attack from my Raging Goblin. Your move."

I drew a new spell from my library as I deflected the blow with my gauntlet. I would've dodged, but the little guy kept coming until he landed a hit. Evasion proved pointless, "Time to kick it up then. Luck is on my side today."

Mayael smiled, but kept her mouth closed.

"I claim a portion of the Isle of Vesuva, which comes to play as a copy of Cloudpost, but I cannot tap it this turn. Next, I call on the power of Wood Elves and they are nice enough to bring their home with them." They were only 1/1 by conventional rules, but they claimed a Forest untapped for me. "I tap into that and the remaining colorless from Cloudpost to play my commander's loyal servant: one of the Druids of the Anima." A slender female elf from Mayael's tribe stepped in through a portal, looking disoriented from the planar travel.

"Anima, I hear the call and respond." she bowed to Mayael then less formally to me, "Once I get my bearings, I will be at your disposal. Count on it."

Mayael introduced us, "This is Sylvares, one of the higher ranking mana searchers in my tribe. She, like Minamaru, will heed your call every time."

"So I call the same person every time?"

"Indeed."

I nodded in acknowledgment, "All the more reason to do them proud."

Mayael smiled at the sentiment.

I motioned for the examiner to go, and he drew, "Good mana-growth, but not the smoothest I've seen. Do you run an elf deck by any chance?"

"Not really, they just have the best mana acceleration."

"I'm curious as to what you are building up to."

I grinned, "Maybe you'll find out."

Mayael stepped to speak in my ear, "Are you building up to calling on me? You have enough mana for my summoning magic to work."

I shook my head, "No. I can't risk you quite yet. He's playing red-black. Too many options for single-target removal and I can't shield against red magic. The timing is wrong."

Mayael nodded in concession to my opinion and stepped back again.

My opponent was already in action, having claimed another mountain, "I summon Goblin King. He adds strength to all my goblins, and while you control a mountain you cannot block my goblins. Get him Raging Goblin!"

The king egged on the little berserker, who flew at me with ill-intent, sinking axe through gauntlet and just barely breaking skin beneath, "Agh!"

"That's all."

I drew a new spell, noting he was curbing my use of mountains. If I didn't have two sources of red mana from other things, that might have been a major detriment, "You will regret holding back on me... just as soon as I draw the right spell. I claim a plains and then end my turn."

My foe drew, "Nothing? Nothing at all?"

"Not yet."

"I better stop playing around then. I claim a mountain, and then summon Skirk Prospector." a green-skinned miner appeared, "After that, I cast a Terminate spell, killing your Druid of the Anima."

I was swift to act, "In response, I'll have her supply me with one white mana, then tap a plains, Rith's Grove, two Cloudposts, and Glimmerpost for a total of three white mana and seven colorless mana."

"Ten mana at once? You said you hadn't drawn your ace card yet!"

"This is only one of them. I call upon the white sun of Mirrodin to shine as a beacon of hope on the battlefield and rally my allies to my side."

"What... that spell, this early... with this much mana invested?" he was taken aback.

"Black cats might be unlucky, but what about seven white ones?" I pointed my hand to the sky and a white sun appeared, pouring down a bright cascade of light that called seven leonin to my side. "I cast White Sun's Zenith! I can't save her, but Sylvares will _not_ die in vain!"

Saluting me, the elf was horrifically burned away in front of me. I won't even describe it... it was hideous, but the elf refused to show any pain on her face as she died. I gritted my teeth and tried to not vomit, "I'm going to hurt you for that. I'm going to hurt you a lot."

Mayael looked a bit sick to the stomach, "By the shards... from what I could sense of that-"

"Don't think about it." I insisted.

"Was it that-"

"Drop it! She's fine right?"

Mayael swallowed hard, "Yes."

"Then we make sure the experience was worth it and move on."

"Yes. Let's." she looked to me, "You were right to not play me yet. He would have burned me away before you could have gotten the sword on me to prevent that spell."

I looked to my opponent, "Care to lose goblins? I have seven blockers, all willing to throw down their lives to avenge an ally. Right guys?"

Each of the cat-men pounded their chests and roared, the front-most proclaiming, "We will not stand idly by and let you burn our comrades away! Come! We shall make you shed equal blood for what you have done!"

"I'll pass." The instructor backed down, "Turn over."

I wasn't as happy as I should be though. He'd not only taken out a sentient being allied with me, he'd taken out one of my best sources of mana. The druid could give me red, green, or white. Without her, I only had two sources of green mana, not enough to cast the big move I'd wanted to go for. I glanced at my foe and examined is body language, but since I'd admitted to being good at doing that, he was making sure to give nothing away. That in itself supported the theory that he'd planned it that way. After all, he was probably pretty skilled if he was giving the exam, and he'd known several of my cards already. I had a theory, based on how he was playing and the feeling I got from him, but I didn't have enough information to back it up.

I drew... what was referred to as a bounce land. It was poor timing, but I could work with it, "I tap my three posts for seven mana then claim Selesnya Sanctuary. I can't tap it for mana, and it returns Glimmerpost to my hand."

"Poor timing, but decent mana later, unless I destroy it."

I ignored him, "I tap a plains, Rith's Grove, and a Forest for white, red, and green mana." Mayael perked up, a bit surprised I was summoning her after all, "With that, I summon my commander, Mayael the Anima." I extended a hand as she walked past me to take a place on the battlefield a sword pulsing with white and black energy forming in my hand. I handed it to the leonin that had spoken up before and he was thankful, regarding the item as a reward, "I spend five of that seven colorless mana to grant this leonin the Sword of Light and Shadow. With this, he grows twofold in strength and vigor, and is immune to white and black magic. If he hits you, I regain health and return a fallen comrade for another casting. On that note, I attack with all my leonin!"

The enemy was undaunted, "I block the swordbearer with Raging Goblin and let the other six pass."

"What?" I was stunned as he let the other cats rip into his flesh for what, in card game terms, was a whole twelve of his 40 life points, "Are you that dedicated to supporting your goblins? I can't decide if that's madness or admirable. You've lost over a forth of your life!"

As the squad backed away, the man struggled to stand, "But you are almost totally open now. Al I have to do is burn your commander away."

"I have two mana left, enough to grant the Sword to Mayael. It won't stop red spells, but you can't use black ones." I bid the leonin to yield his sword, and he did so without hesitation. Mayael holding it in front of her and staring down the enemy.

"Regardless of lacking full spell protection, the boons from the blade will still make it all the harder to burn my body away. Come for me if you so wish it. I am ready!"

The mage drew a spell, "I shall, but I cannot burn you yet. I claim a swamp, tap it and a mountain, then use my prospector's ability." the miner walked over to a section of the floor and pointed, proclaiming something I didn't understand, but it seemed to have found something, and tried to dig for it, comically falling to it's death, "Which provides me with one red mana."

I sighed, "As if putting up with us interfering in their day isn't bad enough?"

He shrugged, "Be that as it may, I must do what I can to win. One annoyance is a small price for victory in this war."

"You had him experience death."

"Worth it." the mage reiterated, "With that mana I summon Goblin Warchief. All goblins I summon cost less mana and do not suffer from summoning sickness."

Mayael turned to me as the mage tapped for more mana, "Bryan, he is calling his commander!"

"That's right, I summon Wort, Boggart Auntie!" an old decrepit goblin witch appeared.

I could only stare, "Somehow... that's hard to be intimidated by."

The examiner sighed, "I'll have her attack you then, and you'll see how seriously you should take her dark magics as they ignore all your defenses."

The goblin matron weaved a spell and black smoke slipped across the battlefield. Mayael was suddenly stricken with the overwhelming need to escape it, leaving me open for its inky tendrils to boil at my flesh. "AGH!"

Mayael hurried to my side, "Bryan, I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself!"

"It's fine." I glared at the witch, "I've seen this in the game... she's got the ability to invoke unstoppable terror in anything but machines and other black creatures. In the game they based on this, it's called Fear. There was nothing you could have done."

I doubled over again and Mayael supported me, "What do we do? That's a powerful spell, right to the weakest part of your power."

"What do you mean?"

She nodded, "If this battle continues, she could sever the magic binding us together, which would end the battle."

Wait... commanders make you lose if they inflict 21 battle damage... I was already down to 17 for that. "If I lose... you'll be gone?"

"Yes. You lose and I will be sent alone back to Alara and you will not get into the Academy."

I reached out to her, remembering the weight I'd felt on her heart. I could see how worried she was that she might carry that alone once again. I stood on my own two feet, counting the numerical values in my head. That goblin was at four power, and in Commander you start with 40 life, I'd taken a total of 6 not including damage I'd healed. Regardless of my life total, 17 more damage from his commander would end it. "It won't happen. Neither of us will let it."

It was my move, so I drew a spell, and it was perfect, "I reclaim Glimmerpost, regaining three life. I then tap Selesnya Sanctary for a white and a green, Rith's Grove for a red, and a Cloudpost for three colorless."

I looked to Mayael and she smiled, understanding. "I call upon the power of the earth, the will of the very soul of Alara! Come! Heed the call!"

I checked the next five spells in my library, and smiled before I sent a spell to my commander and she drove it into the ground. Moments later, a huge bladed arm erupted from the ground like a battle-forged volcanic eruption. Just the arm was larger than anything in the battle. I looked to my opponent as my general's power gave rise to a towering living incarnation of battle, "With this power I summon the Avatar of Slaughter!"

Now my opponent was daunted. Boy was he daunted. Sure it couldn't attack, sure it benefited his creatures too. It was also an 8/8 monster that gave everything on the field a second swing each attack. He was inevitably going to lose creatures or he would die and I wasn't going to lose a single one. It was worse than that. I had drawn something potent and had the mana to use it. He gritted his teeth in dread when I brought a pair of lightning-infused boots to the field and put them on the Avatar, getting rid of the whole 'couldn't attack' bit.

"I spend the last of my mana to move the Sword of Light and Shadow to it original bearer, then everything attacks! _Twice_!" I pointed at my foe and the Avatar crept forward, the charge of the leonin forces coming before it.

The enemy mage set his Warchief and King, his only two able monsters, to block the two largest threats. My Avatar and the swordbearer did not get to his life, but the other 6 leonin and my Wood Elves slaughtered him for a big 14 damage. He only had 14 life remaining and it showed, the man was bleeding from many places on pretty much every part of his body and could barely stand.

I called over to him as I moved the boots from my Avatar to my commander to protect her, "Are you okay? If this is going to kill you we should stop. I think I've proven my raw power at least. Though my deck hasn't really showcased most of what it can do."

The mage gawked for a moment at that, then smiled, "I should expect as much from one of the chosen applicants, especially one that got this far. Naturally your selection of spells would be high caliber. However..." he drew a spell, "The day is not done. You slew all of my monsters, all but one. Technically, I only needed to draw this to..." he did the math, "Crap... two of my mana is black. I can't boost her enough to kill you outright... I held back too much and you're going to crush me for it."

"Then do you yield?"

The mage shook his head, "Not yet. I'm going to make sure you understand the sheer wieght of what you're getting into before I lose. I cast Firebreathing on Wort, and boost her magic with dragonfire. With your granted double strike, she will tear you asunder, but not kill you."

Three less than what he needed to inflict to be exact, he only had the mana to boost her to 7 power.

The mage smirked, "You might not be aware of this, but there is a third way to lose in a mage duel."

"What is that?"

"Passing out. If you can't stand what this attack is going to do to you and you lose consciousness, it's the same as losing."

I swallowed hard. Two had hurt, the witch's earlier 4 had been like getting stabbed in the chest. This time... this time it was nearly twice that and coming two times...

"Wort, teach him pain!"

The black smoke raced across this time, igniting by dragon flame and burning into my body as in encircled me. I dropped to the ground and curled into a ball with the bracers forward, doing everything I could to blunt the strike, but when the second came, the ground itself gave way and caused to roll back, and I was wracked by the full scorching doom of the flames. I couldn't cry out, it was agonizing. I could feel skin melting... the smell was wretched. Worse, the fact it had lit me on fire wasn't helping.

"AGH! AGH!" Naturally, though I had been stabbed before, I had never been burned or lit on fire by dark magic. "AGGGHHHH!"

I rolled around frantically, barely noticing Mayael doing everything she could to put the flames out. When I finally came to rest, I was no longer in mortal peril, but I could barely breathe, barely stay awake. My partner implored me to keep fighting, though I could tell she wished I didn't have to.

My opponent seemed impressed actually, "Damn good reaction kid. Two people so far have lost to less than that by knockout. I can tell you're still awake, but can you stand?"

I looked up, tears flowing from my eyes, "No... but I can still fight." I looked to the creatures on my field, "I assume you want to pay him back for that?"

The avatar said nothing, but the leonin turned on the enemy mage and roared in their native tongue, which I again could understand thanks to magic apparently, "Blood for glory! Vengeance for the righteous! _Death to our aggressors!_"

One of the Wood Elves pointed a thumb at them, "Not sure what they said, but I second the enthusiasm." the other elves nodded and got ready to attack. One of them pointed to the enemy and offered retreat, "Yield! This test is not worth death!"

The instructor laughed, nodding, "I have lost. Let us see what you could have done to me before I submit."

I drew a new spell, grunting in pain, "I claim a forest, then tap for the mana to cast Nacatl War-Pride." a band of cat-men warriors advanced from the treeline of my forest the leader proclaiming that their brothers were waiting in the trees. "When this band attacks, they bring numbers to match your own, and if you can, you must block them with only one creature."

My opponent officially yielded, gawking at the card, "You had those boots to let them strike now as well... wait... you run a cat deck?"

I just smiled.

The man laughed, "You barely played any of your main creatures and could do that much damage? HAHAHAHA! You truly do match your colors well, friend mage. He limped over and offered a helping hand, "Welcome to Academy. Mayael, could you go get us a healer before we bleed out?"

My elf companion smiled, "Of course."

I looked around at my summoned creatures, who (with the exception of the Avatar of Slaughter) lingered on the plane to make sure I was okay. There were so many of them, mostly because the spells had summoned bands of creatures. In fact, most of my cards worked around summoning large groups. I chuckled, even though it hurt to do so. Mayael paused, curious as to why I was laughing.

I clarified, "Looks like I have a lot of people to get to know... just in my deck alone."

Mayael nodded, "And there are even more in the form of fellow mages, their commanders, and their decks. We shall soon meet and learn of all sorts of people."

Nodding my agreement, I passed out from my wounds.

_Watching From Elsewhere..._

A robed figure furrowed his brow as he observed the conclusion of the duel, and spoke grimly to his three shrouded comrades, "He is very direct. Lacks finesse."

"It's effective, and he has room to grow."

"I am not sure we should let him into Academy however."

A third, a woman, spoke up, "You're too harsh."

"Have you looked at the papers for him? Have you seen his secondary commander? That one cannot be trusted and using her hints at an unsavory lust for power at any cost. He could fall to the corruption of the phyrexians."

The woman couldn't really argue, but even so, she had to, "Rith agreed to help us against the phyrexians. We wll just have to trust she sees them as more important than the advancement of her mad plans. I think we can trust in this young man to handle the burden he carries. Especially with Mayael's guidance."

The man sighed, "I hope you are right."

The second turned and walked towards the door, "If she is not, then she will do the responsible thing. Right, Chandra?"

The woman nodded, "Of course, Ajani. You have my word."

Next Chapter: Mayael's Aria

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter and I'd appreciate your opinions on it in the form of reviews. For reference, this story features characters from all over the multiverse, so I won't always be 100% perfect on all the associated lore or every single character's personality. I haven't read all the novels, lol. However, I do intend to deal with plots points in each of the main characters' commanders' home planes. For example, Mayael's link to Progenitus and the events of the Alara set will be a plot point. Also, if you'd like to submit a character or deck for the story, go ahead and do so. Just make sure you at minimum include the character's name, personality, commander, and basic deck concept. If you submit a full deck, make sure it is built to EDH/Commander rules and doesn't include any of the planeswalkers in it. As a side note, each chapter will be named after a card based on the general theme of the chapter or sometimes it being used in the chapter. Next time, we get some character development, Bryan arrives at 'Academy', and we meet other main characters and their generals.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Mayael's Aria

Something lurked there, in the darkness. Something that spoke to me in ancient tongues and asked with poorly hidden annoyance about my choice of summon. There had been two candidates in my next five spells that I could have had Mayael cast. One had been the Avatar that gave everything on the field double strike. It had won me the duel, but in my haste I had taken massive damage. It had been a miscalculation. I could have called the other and hit for less, then doubled my forces in the process. By the following turn, I would probably have had the mana for the Overrun spell in my hand, and victory would have been certain. I should have summoned Rith, and there in the darkness it made certain that I was aware of that.

I was awaken from my unpleasant dreams by the intrusion of an elegant song being hummed, the beautiful melody seeming to lull the prying voice away and lift me up. I was sitting up before I was even conscious. When my vision cleared, I was greeted by a warm elven smile, "Ah, you have finally awakened, I am glad. Black magic tends to cling to the soul."

"Does it also make your commanders prod you in your sleep?"

She froze, taking on a slightly wounded expression, "I'm sorry. Was I too rough when I changed the salves? I told the healers it would be better for them to stay and-"

I shook my head, "No. I'm sorry. I meant my sub-commander... not you. I had a dream where Rith was on my case for summon the Avatar of Slaughter instead of her."

"Your other commander was in the next five spells?"

I nodded, noting my wounds were gone, so where the preciously mention salves, "Wow, healing magic is potent."

"Indeed."

I rubbed my stomach, still not quite believing there was no wounds there at all, but that wasn't important, "A few questions though before I get up and face this whole Academy thing, okay?"

"As they say in your world: 'Shoot'."

"First, is the whole 'entering my dreams to reprimand me' a thing all commanders can do?"

Mayael frowned, "No, that must be something your other commander can do on its own. The partnership carries "

"Do you think it'll stop if I ask nicely?"

"Probably not if it's the type to do it to start with."

I sighed, "Then as childish as it sounds, could you hum that song you were doing a minute ago when I'm going to bed? It seemed to subdue her."

The elf suddenly became awkward, "Yes, that would be no trouble. That is the hymn of Progentius, the soul of Alara. It calms most elementals and primordial beings."

"Next... I have some spells that sacrifice things I control, does that destroy them? If it does, I should seek new spells."

"No. Actually, when I told you that lands are at risk before, it was only a half truth. They are, but measures have been taken to keep them safe until you have learned to shield them yourself. In fact, in most cases the other mage has to specifically will that his magic destroy rather than dispel."

"And all phryexian mages destroy."

"Yes. Sacrificing creatures is the same. They only actually die if you will it, you actually only sunder bonds holding them to your plane."

"Wait..." the wheels turned in my head, "So when I fight the phyrexians... my creatures will die for real too?"

Mayael simply nodded.

I wasn't sure how to deal with that, and it was pretty easy to see that.

My companion put a hand on mine, "Every single one of us is willing to put our trust in your hands, and throw down our lives to stop the phyrexians. Many of the creatures in your arsenal are from planes that have been ravaged by them in the past, giving them all the more reason to be willing to die to stop them."

"That's a lot of responsibility though. If I make a mistake again... then..."

"I know how you feel." Mayael assured me, "I'm not sure how must you know of my history, but I've been pretty much the sole thing between my world and total annihilation for some time now."

"What changed that?"

"Nothing. I still am."

"Then why are you here fighting other peoples' fights?"

She chuckled, "For one, I have the sense to see when a fight will eventually become mine, and I would rather fight it now than fight it if it gets past the forces gathered here."

I frowned, looking down at my hands, "That's makes sense..., but you could die fighting the phyrexians."

"Obviously, but it is preferable to certain death if they fail."

"How do you expect me to bring you into battle against them now?" I asked, the consequences heavy on my heart, "I'd be responsible for your death and the death of your entire world."

Mayael smiled, her hand caressing the side of my face and pulling my gaze to hers. Her empty, sightless gaze. Seeing mana and into the souls of others wasn't the same as seeing, and though she could not look into my eyes, Mayael had me look into hers, had me take in the emotion of her face that was carried by her expression. I wasn't able to see into her soul as well as her magical sight could peer into mine, and she actually was reminding me to do it. That expression, that smile and the light in her sightless and insightful eyes communicated much that a normal person would miss. Even though my talent for it was little more than a keen knack, I could understand what she was feeling.

Grateful, glad, and more than a little amused. No, she found it cute and a bit dashing of me to care, and Mayael knew that my concern was mainly for her. Even my concern for her world was more because the loss of her home would be another layer of my having failed _her_. I was more concerned with the affect of the deaths of millions would have on her than the actual deaths.

"You are far too caring, Bryan." Her hands moved gently over my face, her expression growing sad, "I cannot see that face of yours, so fraught with concern... I want to see it." The elf stopped herself, perhaps noticing she had said something weird.

I headed her off, knowing her intent to pull her hands away and moved them for her. Instead of helping her retreat, I pulled her very slightly closer, the atmosphere shifting in a way that was tangible only to us. Our hearts tightened, the magnetic attraction between us being as physical as it was spiritual. We knew each other's souls and how much we both understood every bit of pain in those souls. Was there any mystery as to how that could create attraction, longing, and perhaps even a primal need for not only that feeling, but each other?

She looked at me, or rather my soul, with her sightless eyes and even though she did not know my expression I know Mayael could pick up on my feelings and the effect the sudden swing in mood was having on us. I, however, could see her own conflicted expression and I shared her thoughts on what we were both feeling. It was wrong... though we knew each other's souls we did not know each other. The feelings we were having were just loneliness, not love. We both knew it, almost as if we never didn't know it or we'd had a long chat about it and figured it out together. It was strange.

I let her go, and rather than run off Mayael placed a hand on my heart, "It is strange... even though I do not see any deeper into your heart than I do anyone else, the simple fact that you can do the same makes the experience itself..." she struggled for a word, "There are too many words to describe it and none fit exactly."

"I know what you mean."

"I..." she stopped... tears forming in her eyes... our connection suddenly growing too intense as we let more of our personal walls down.

She wanted to love me... I wanted to love her... this connection, so deep and intimate and fulfilling, promised a happiness beyond anything we'd known in a long time. It felt like a chance to be free of the weights on our existences.

But it wasn't love. The needful feeling we were having was nothing more than want. Though part of us wanted to just give into it, most of us knew it would be self-destructive.

She clasped my hands, gaining control of herself, "Y-you have a-a... weight on your heart... like mine... I..." she was struggling again. Words just couldn't communicate as deeply as hearts could, and we both so desperately wanted to speak on a level beyond either of our abilities.

I knew what she wanted to ask me though, and all the feelings behind it, so perhaps it was at our level after all? "You want to know more about me... why I'm so heavy hearted." I looked at her with what was probably a defeated looking expression, "I... I'm not as strong as you."

She gave me a perplexed expression.

"I want to throw what created this aside... run from it... start anew. Maybe I'm more ready to do it because it isn't as big as yours, but I'm still weak for doing that." I couldn't face her after admitting that, "I don't want to face it, and don't think I need to. I want to make a new life, I want to make this fight my life."

Mayael felt the depth, the true meaning of my words, and held my hands firmly, "You reached the point where you would abandon even your sense of humanity? Become nothing but a soldier in the war? You were so wearied that wanted to through your emotions, your entire self aside?"

I nodded.

She could hardly believe what I was admitting, "Mental suicide..."

I returned her grip, "I don't want that anymore... I want..." There were adequate words for what I wanted to say, but to convey the proper weight and strength of the sentiment in my heart would have taken a monologue. She meant a lot to me. She needed me and I needed her, both on so many levels that the average person would never understand it. Mayael was on a path like mine and might one day step off that cliff she had saved me from. That was part of what saved me from it. We weren't strong enough to carry the weight on us alone. Both together we could carry both.

Just the understanding of that deepened our relationship more than some advance in years. Our bond... was more intense than I can convey. Yet it came so naturally. It took a moment for us to realize we were both crying from the emotional overload. We'd only met minutes ago and said relatively little to each other... but it was like we'd been alone and talking to each other for months or even years.

We both leaned towards each other at the same time, our curious hands exploring their way to and embrace and our hearts intending to allow a kiss... or more. Despite only moments before having known it was wrong... it felt right right then. It wasn't though. Fate had _and_ told us that opinion when a nurse suddenly walked in and Mayael shot straight into a standing position like a bullet, trying to stop the gently flowing tears as she walked out of the room.

The nurse was of course confused at seeing both of us crying so freely and with nearly identical mannerisms, "What happened?"

I didn't speak for several moments as I cleared the clouds from my head and the tears from my vision, "I don't think there's a word for it."

Mayael's Perspective

Breathing heavily, mostly from panic, I stopped a fair distance away from the medical wing and leaned against the wall as I struggled to get my bearings. Certainly, my power had always allowed me to get to know people quickly, but to know someone so completely with speed so far beyond that was of course new and overwhelming. It was as if we had dozens of conversations, if not several years' worth of conversations, in mere moments. It was as if, despite saying nothing in actual words, we had lived an entire relationship, from friend to something more.

"Something wrong, Mayael?" a stern and weary, but carrying voice spoke up. I recognized it, but still looked up to confirm the source.

"Rafiq?" I was surprized to see one of the heroes of Alara in front of me, a leader and warrior that had helped bring about the end of a conspiracy that nearly ended my home plane. One that, as far as I knew, had refused any partners, "What are you doing here? Did you finally find a suitable planeswalker?"

He nodded, "Yes, but that's beside the point. You look as if you have seen a ghost. Did you run into one of the spirit commanders for the first time?"

"No... it is nothing. Just some complications with my power and the unique abilities of my own partner. I hope your own transition is going better?"

The hero known as Rafiq of the Many grinned a single grin, an expression he rarely had after the death of his friend, "I haven't actually managed to secure him as my partner yet. There's a few issues at hand, but I imagine they will clear up when more options are opened to the trainees."

I wasn't sure what he meant.

"Is their anything I can do to help you in the meantime? I looked at the profile and the spell arsenal of your planeswalker. Interesting guy. Apparently the professionals thought you two were really compatible."

"They were right."

"To be honest, I do not see it."

Surprised, I turned to the man, "What do you mean?"

"He runs a 'cat deck' right? I have looked over the information in the 'database' they have. Did you not know how few cat creatures and heroes can be summoned by your power?"

"How few?"

"None of them. The main focus of his arsenal and it gets next to no use from your summoning power."

"I used that ability to win the exam duel, so clearly he has a use for me."

"I looked at that match. To be honest, I do not think his style truly suits you."

I looked away, uncomfortable but unable to conjure an argument to the points he was making. "We shall see."

"He has much to learn, Mayael. I just fear his path might diverge from yours and leave you abandoned and alone."

"Again, we shall see."

Rafiq nodded, "Indeed. Another warning: the professionals are keeping an eye on him, partly because of his secondary commander."

"I have not met him."

"Her actually. His other commander is a dragon named Rith, also called 'the Awakener'. She apparently cannot be trusted and her offer to join our program was only taken out of desperation."

"She is evil?"

"The last time she made a move, Rith tried to commit genocide and the ensuing struggle resulted in the death of an entire pantheon."

Even though they were sightless, my eyes still went wide in shock, "The situation is so bleak that they would accept help from such a being?"

"Apparently. All the more reason I am eager for those issues I mentioned to be resolved so I can join the fight."

I was about to enter deep thought on the matter when an announcement was made over was is called an 'intercom', "All applicants in the facility are to head to Room 36-A on level B5 with their primary generals. There are a few matters that must be settled and arrangements to be made. Be ready to face off against fellow hopefuls, not all off you will be joining us. Consider this your final entrance exam."

Rafiq smiled, "Ah, this should be interesting."

I suppressed my reservations about facing my partner again and the thoughts of the awkward moments we'd spent in the medbay. "Indeed."

"I will leave you to it then and watch the events with baited breath."

As Rafiq walked away I called out to him, "By the way, I would be very interested in meeting the hopeful you want to partner with. May I ask which one it is?"

He turned, smirking, "Yours."

Next Chapter: Heedless One

Preview: What if multiple hopefuls have the same legendary card in their deck? Can a legendary hero serve as a commander in one deck and a normal creature in someone else's? Apparently not, as Bryan finds himself against many opponents, fighting for the right to wield several key members of his aresenal.


End file.
